Extended Benefits: “Yeah! Now, here’s what you do.…”By Admin

July 23, 2010

They’ve extended the unemployment benefits. PHEW! You’ve got the extension. But this may very well be the last so let’s get cracking. It’s time. We just have to buckle down and make it happen. And believe. It will happen.

You’ve tried it all I’m sure by now … registered with all the social networks, contacted all your personal contacts. You’ve called in as many favors as you can recall. So now it’s time to call in the pros. And by pros I am not talking about the fee based pros. You pay them up front and they may find you a job. Nope. You align yourself to services that have a fair contract. You work for them 90 days and then switch from their payroll to the clients – no fee. It’s time to find your team and Monday is the day to pick your team of players.

Make your list of agencies that you know are strong, long term, and reputable. Do not depend on one and that includes us, Champion. The more strong agencies you are aligned with the better your opportunities. The client base is usually loyal to their chosen service (if they provide what they promise) so the more agencies you apply to the greater your network of opportunity becomes.

One agency per day for two weeks all around the city parameters is Monday’s goal. Set the appointments for the morning because this is how you begin your day – on the upswing. Nine o’clock every morning you will be meeting with a different recruiter. Practicing interview skills is part of the plan. The more you practice the more confidence you build.

But that’s not all. After every mornings agency appointment you take a break. Stop at a coffee shop. And during this break, you jot down interview questions that you could have answered better. Take the time to rethink what you could have said instead to reveal your worth better. And write them down. Evaluate as you go, you will grow from this.

Use the agencies to your full advantage. All of them should become a place for you to network, a place to practice your interviewing skills and a place to sell yourself. They will be a place for you to test the waters so to speak, to learn how to respond to different personalities, a place to test your own techniques and fine tune them. You’ve got a minimum of two weeks to practice. Plan to visit at least ten agencies at the very least.

And please, respond back to me. I’d like to hear your experiences, concerns, evaluations. Please share. We’re serious; we’ll help you find that job even if we aren’t the ones who placed you!

Next: using the internet to find job postings – what web sites are good.

Question: What would you like to see discussed here to help you with your search?